How do you best react when an ex-employee, who had left the firm when a better offer came along, applies back for a position? The whole situation gives rise to a dilemma that is of the so-called boomerang employees. Should you provide them with the job, or should you tell them a NO!

The one thing you have to consider is that the employees have now undergone some severe work in firms which were better than yours. Their experience levels have increased, and so must have their performance. 

Possibly they can now contribute better to your firm’s growth and development than even your long-standing employees. After all, experience is a good thing. Why shouldn’t you then get them back on -board if they have an excellent work record? 

Given that they had left you on amicable terms in the first place, there is no reason why you should refuse such a candidate.

Studies prove that more and more firms now are willing to take back their old employees when such a situation arises. The number, which stands at a fair 76%, is appalling when you realize most of these firms had policies against rehiring. Now, HR professionals admit that the move could be more beneficial than bad for the firm.

Still, it isn’t advised in all cases, significantly if it can affect your workplace’s whole ambiance. You need employees to be friendly and maintain good work relationships for the firm to function well. 

Bringing in a former employee might or might not affect the existing balance. It is the kind of assessment you should make before saying YES to rehiring.

Let’s now look into a few cases where it is good to get back your ex-employee and somewhere it might not be a good idea to rehire in the context of the Corporate Alumni Program.

Rehire them when:

Rehiring best suits situations where you have to find a suitable person for a specialized job. Imagine your firm is in the medical industry and developing equipment for a particular use. 

To market your products, you need a salesperson who has in-depth knowledge of the market itself, the customer’s needs, and the equipment itself.

If you hire a new employee, you will need to invest some time to train the job personnel. They will need time to learn about the product he will market, the competition levels, and how to do it best. 

But an old employee wouldn’t face any of these issues. They already have experience in marketing your products and thus, have a more excellent knowledge of all things. It will be easy for them to get right into the action without any delay. 

• The choice can be difficult for you, but when you look at the chances of finding a suitable candidate with all the skills for the job, it is easier to hire the ex-employee. Getting hold of that perfect candidate is becoming more like a search for a needle in a haystack -tedious and fruitless.

It can be almost impossible for niche industries which have to be very picky of their hires. You can save all the time you put into the search by giving the old employees a chance. They will be up and running in a moment since they require zero-field training.

• Was the employee a good team player in the past? Are you sure they can work well in a group and can motivate others as well? It must be the best reason to hire them back.

For one, old employees already know the workings of the firm. They can smoothly slide into the environment. Someone who knows the work culture can be a great asset to the firm. 33% of the HRs agrees that this is the best reason to hire back employees.

• The rehired workforce understands the firm well because of their experience.

They must also be on good terms with all of the existing workers. Your employees must be happy to once again work with an old friend. It will help boost their morale.

• Many of the recent surveys have found that leadership is hard to find skill among potential employees. There are less than 50% of firms that assert that leadership is their strong point

A good leader among your team can motivate everyone. It will benefit the firm since employees will be more productive since they are happy in their positions. The boomerang employees will give their labor direction and boost them to become leaders in their own time. The rehired employee can better do it with the firm’s experience, knowledge, and industry.

Do not hire the Boomerang Employees when:

It is essential to sit down and discuss the decision to rehire with your current employees. Everything might have seemed reasonable and well for you from the outside, but what if it wasn’t. Employees might have appeared as a great leader and a team player in the past. But, what if it is not the case now?

• Allow your existing employees the space to talk openly about their take on rehiring an individual. If the whole team seems to be against such a step, it is better avoided.

The relationships a person maintains at their workplace can affect the life they live and reflect on the firm’s growth. Thus, if a whole group of people does not prefer a particular candidate, you should wisely refrain from rehiring the person to maintain your team’s peace and goodwill. 

• One significant factor to consider is why the employee left the firm in the first place?

Think of how the firm has developed ever since and provide the person with better opportunities even if you rehire them. If things haven’t changed much within the firm, it wouldn’t be wise to rehire some who left.

• They might have left because of boredom in the job or lack of opportunity to grow in their particular field.

If your firm still has to find a way around this issue to allow room for the employees to explore their potential to the full extent, you might as well not hire them.

• If they left because of bad terms, you definitely wouldn’t be hiring them back.

It is also not good for the firm to hire a player who had worked there almost years ago. They will need the same kind of training to catch up to the changes in their absence.

These are some points to consider before you jump into the decision of getting boomerang employees to the firm.